Friction draft-gear for railway-cars.



PATENTRD MAR. 15. 190A.

fr. L. MAKER'N. RRIcTloN DRAFT GEAR PoR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1903. I0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES THOMAS L. MCKEEN, OF

Patented. March 1.5, 1904.

EAsroN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FRICTION DRAFT-GEAR FOR RAILWAY-CARS- SP'ECIFICATION forming partgofLetters Patent No. 754,593, dated March 15, 1904.

I Application led August 25,1903. Serial No. 170,720. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: Y

l Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MGKEEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Friction'Draft-Gears for Railway-Cars, of which the following isa/specification.

This invention relates to a friction draft and buiiing gear forrailway-cars of that kind comprising followers movable with the draw-barand spring-plates or leaf-springs which are compressed or strainedlaterally by the forward and rearward movements of the drawbar indrawing and buiiing.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practicalfriction draft-gear which can be produced at a moderate cost and whichhas greater capacity in buling and starting cars than is attainable withthe ordinary draftgear employing twin coil-springs, which the presentdevice is more especially designed to replace.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontalsection, partly in plan, of a draft and buffing gear embodying theinvention. Fig. Qis a transverse vertical sectional elevation thereof inline 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the followers.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several gures.

A represents oppositely-arranged supporting and guiding members whichare of any suitable construction and are secured in proper relation tothe draft sills or beams. In the construction shown the supportingmembers longitudinal vertical side plate or portion B and vertical frontand rear stop faces or shoulders O and C', which are suitably braced bylongitudinal strengthening ribs or flanges on the draft-arms. Betweenthe vertical front and rear stop-faces or shoulders each draft-arm isprovided with an inwardly-projecting horizontal guide rib or flange D.

E represents carrying irons or bars which are arranged longitudinallybeneath the draftarms, to'which they are secured by the verticalsecuring-bolts for the'draft-arms. The carrying irons or bars projectinwardly beyond `the vertical side' plates of the draft-arms to providesupporting-faces for the movable folbar or stern of the coupler, whichis preferably provided with the usual strap or yoke f, secured to therear end of the draw-bar and extending rearwardly thereof between thedraft-arms.

G and H represent, respectively, oppositely-arranged front and rear`movable 'followers, which are arranged between the draftarms to movehorizontally forwardly and rearwardly, being supported and guidedbetween the inwardly-projecting carrying-irons and theinwardly-projecting horizontal lianges I) on the draft-arms. Thefollowers extend between the upper and lower portions of the 'draw-baryoke', the front follower bearing against the rear end of the draw-bar,while the rear follower bears against the rear end of the yoke. of thefront and rear followers are limited by the front and rear stop faces orshoulders O O', respectively, on the draft-arms. The followers are alikeand are interchangeable, and each preferably consists of a castinghaving a transverse vertical plate or portion 71 which isA preferablycored out for the sake of lightness, and longitudinal side wings orportions h', which have vertical inclined or beveled outer faces 7b2 andupper' and lower' horizontal flanges h3, which project outwardly fromthe side wings or portions. These outwardly-projecting anges extend inbetween the carrying-irons and the horizontal guide-flanges of thedraft-arms. Each follower is also preferably provided with a centralcircular boss or projection 71.4.

The forward and rearward movementsV IOC If preferred, the draw-bar yokecan 'be replaced by the ordinary stem or bolt passing centrally throughthe followers.

l vf represent, respectively, ordinary outer and inner coil draft andbung springs which are arranged longitudinally between theoppositely-disposed follower-plates and are confined laterally betweenthe side wings of the same, being held in their proper central positionby the central bosses on the followers.

K represents spring-plates or leaf-springs, a set of which is arrangedbetween the vertical side plate of each draft-arm and the adjacentbeveled outer faces of the side wings of the followers. Thespring-plates of each set are bowed inwardly, and the convex face of theinnermost spring-plate bears against the oppositely-inclined outer facesof the adjacent wings of the followers. The springs are confinedvertically between the outwardly-projecting horizontal flanges of thefollowerwings and are held from longitudinal movement between thevertical front and rear stopfaces of the draft-arms. The spring-plateswhen bowed or in their normal condition are of somewhat less strengththan the distance between the vertical front and rear stop-faces, sothat the spring-plates can be straightened out or strained by lateralpressure.

When the draw-bar or coupler-stem is pulled forwardly in starting ordrawing the car, the draw-bar yoke draws the rear follower forwardly,causing its beveled or inclined side faces to slide on the conveXedfaces of the inner spring-plates of both sets, thereby strainingorstraightening the spring-plates and producing friction between thespring-plates and the follower. The follower at the same time compressesthe coil draft and bufling springs. In buiing the front follower ismoved rearwardly by the engagement therewith of the rear end of thedraw-bar and similarly strains or straightens the spring plates and thecoilsprings. The side wings of the two followers project toward eachother a sufficient distance to abut and limit the movement of the movingfollower before the coil-springs are completely compressed. The sidewings of the followers are arranged longitudinally in line with thestop-faces of the draft-arms, so that the strain on the two followerswhen moved into contact is at their sides and is transmitted directly tothe draft-arms instead of, as usual, being concentrated on the centralunsupported portions of the followers. There is therefore little dangerof breaking the followers, and they can be madelighter than wouldotherwise be practical.

While draft-arms are shown in the drawings and described in thespecification, ordinary cheek-plates or supporting members constructedand secured in any suitable manner can be employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of supporting members, adraw-bar, front and rear followers movable respectively rearwardly andforwardly'with the draw-bar, stops to limit the forward and rearwardmovements respectively of said front and rear followers, a coilspringarranged between said followers, and spring-plates which are arranged atopposite sides of said coil-spring between said supporting members andsaid followers and which are compressed laterally by thev movement ofeither follower, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of supporting members, a draw-bar, front and rearfollowers movable respectively rearwardly and forwardly with thedraw-bar, stops to limit the forward and rearward movements respectivelyof said front and rear followers and longitudinally-fixed spring-plateswhich are compressed laterally by the movements of said followers,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of supporting members provided with front and rearstops, a draw-bar, followers arranged between said stops and each havinginclined side faces, means connecting said draw-bar and followerswhereby one follower is moved when the draw-bar is moved in eitherdirection, and laterally-compressible spring-plates arranged between theinclined faces of the followers and said supporting members,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of supporting members, a draw-bar movablelongitudinally between the same, front and rear followers movablerespectively rearwardly and forwardly with the draw-bar, stops to limitthe forward and rearward movements of the front and rear followersrespectively, said followers having inclined outer side faces, andlaterally-compressible longitudinally-fixed springplates arrangedbetween the opposite inclined side faces of said followers and saidsupporting members, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of supporting members, a draw-bar movablelongitudinally between the same, a front follower movable rearwardlywith said draw-bar, a rear follower movable forwardly with saiddraw-bar, front and rear stops on said supporting members for limitingthe forward and rearward movements of said front and rear followersrespectively, said followers having side wings which project toward eachother and which are provided with beveled outer faces, and spring-platesarranged between the beveled outer faces of said followers and saidsupporting members, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 5th day of August, 1903.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. PARKER, JNO. J. BONNER.

IIO

